D1 Managing nutrients and water Flashcards
Managing soil
A healthy soil hence good vine growth and ripening.
A healthy soil must have a good structure, meaning:
1. good drainage
2. right amount of organic matter and humus, hence available nutrients and good water/nutrient-holding capacity
3. the ability to allow roots to penetrate
4. the ability to resist erosion
-A good number of living organisms: (earthworm and microbe break down organic matter into humus and organic nutrients)
Managing nutrients - organic or inorganic fertilisers
Organic (manure, cover crop (green manure)).
ADV:
- is cheap
- high in humus and therefore good for soil structure and water retention and slow releases nutrients.
- provide nutrition for organisms, promoting ecosystem.
DIS:
- it can be bulky and expensive to transport.
- require incorporation in the soil, which requires labour.
Inorganic (synthetic) are either chemicals or manufactured from minerals extracted from the ground.
ADV:
- can provide single or several nutrients, therefore can be more tailored.
- the nutrients are readily available, no need for incorporation.
- easier to use and transport.
DIS:
- do not improve soil structure.
- do not promote ecosystem.
- more expensive.
Managing Nutrients - weeds removal - Cultivation, Herbicides and Animal grazing.
Removal of weeds that can compete with the vine for nutrients and water. this is done by:
- Cultivation. Involves ploughing the soil to cut the weed’s roots.
ADV:
- no use of chemicals (use in organic and biodynamic viticulture)
- cover crop (green manure) can be incorporate at the same time
DIS:
- Can disrupt the soil ecosystem.
- It is costly as requires labour and machinery.
- can increase vigour too much as there is no competition for water and nutrients. - Herbicides are chemical spray that kills weeds.
ADV:
- are cheap.
- highly effective.
- less damaging to the soil than cultivation.
DIS:
- does not encourage vineyard ecosystem
- risk of poisoning.
- weeds can become resistant.
- can increase vine vigour too much as there is no competition for water and nutrients
- not allowed in organic and biodynamic viticulture. - Animal grazing
ADV:
- can be use in organic and biodynamic viticulture.
- the animals can provide manure
DIS:
- The vines must be trained high, otherwise animals may eat leaves and grapes.
- The animals need caring, which requires labour and space.
- the animals are susceptible to vineyard pesticides.
Managing nutrients - cover crops and mulching
Cover crop are plant specifically planted:
ADV:
- improve soil structure through ploughing (green manure)
- Influence vigour by competing with the vine for nutrients and water (positive in fertile soil)
- manage soil erosion
- provide surface to drive on.
DIS:
- A reduction in vine vigour, can be excessive in poor and dry soil
- Unsuitable for steep slopes as they are slippery when wet.
Mulching is the spreading of matter such as straw and bark to suppress the growth of weeds and provide nutrients.
ADV:
- can be use in organic and biodynamic viticulture.
- It reduce water evaporation in soil (adv in dry climates)
- it provide nutrients and humus, good for soil structure.
DIS:
- are bulky and therefore expensive to transport.
- effective only if a thick layer is needed (lots is needed).
- it can increase vigour too much as there is no competition for nutrients and water.
Managing water - amount and timing
The vine’s requirement for water varies throughout the vine cycle.
Plenty of water in the spring encourage the growth of green parts of the vine, leading to high yields of grapes.
Mild water stress can be desirable between fruit set and veraison to encourage grape developing and ripening, hence better quality.
RDI (regulated deficit irrigation) regulates the amount of water throughout the vine cycle.
It monitors the soil water level to respond accordingly.
Can save water, reducing costs and increasing quality.
Dry farming
No irrigation used.
Can lead to lower yields but potentially better quality grapes.
Managing water - Irrigation
Water for irrigation may come from lakes, river, reservoirs.
Water must be clean and filtered.
Free from solid (mud can block sprinklers) and salt (dehydrates green part of the vine).
For sustainability the vineyard must use:
- drought-tolerant grape varieties or clone and rootstocks
- water-efficient irrigation systems
- improving soil structure for better water retention
- reducing competition (removing weeds)
- reducing evaporation (mulching)
- Promoting the roots to grow deep into the soil (trough cultivation)
Drainage
Drainage system may need to be installed (before the vineyard is established).
The cost of installation and maintenance makes up to the better-balanced vines that are able to ripen grapes consistently.
Good drainage also allow better surface for machinery.
Water can also be regulated by planting crops to provide competition or improving soil structure (removing any plough pans) to better regulate water drainage.
Managing water - type of irrigation
Types of irrigation:
- Drip irrigation. Pipes are laid along each row, tied to the trellis wire.
ADV:
- permit an economic use of water
- can control individual rows, allowing tailored management
- the same pipes can be use to apply fertilisers
- can be use on slopes
DIS:
- Installation costs is high, but maintenance costs are moderate
- clean water is required, therefore requires maintenance
- cannot use against frost as sprinklers are too low. - Overhead sprinklers
Pumps water over the vineyard.
It can be use to combat frost.
Is is expensive to install and maintain due to the high water pressures needed, and the large amount of water needed compare to drip irrigation. - Flood irrigation
Stored water is released to flood the vineyard.
It is cheap to install and maintain, but a lot of water is not taken up by the vine. - Channel irrigation
Similar to flood irrigation, however, the water flows down furrows dug between the vine rows, which help increase efficiency of water use.
